Singapore blooms with Chinese New Year 2014 (CNY) Celebration

Chinese New Year 2014 in Singapore Highlights

Singapore once again blooms with the celebration of Chinese New Year 2014 and why not? After all, this is the most celebrated holiday in Singapore considering the fact that there are over 70% Chinese living in Singapore. I will be right by saying that Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays.

What is Chinese New Year?

Chinese New Year (CNY) is the most important holiday in Chinese Culture as it marks the start of the first day of the year as per Chinese Calendar. Chinese New Year celebrations start with the Chinese New Year Eve’s where family gather for their annual reunion dinner also known as “Eve of the passing year” Chú Xī (除夕). The Chinese New Year Eve’s is also the last day of the last month as per Chinese Calendar.

Chinese New Year festival celebration continues for another two weeks and ends with the “Lantern Festival” on the 15th day of the first month. This makes Chinese New Year festival most important and longest in the Chinese Calender. Chinese New Year is also referred as “Lunar Year” because the Chinese Calendar is lunisolar.

Do you know that Chinese New Year in China it is also known as “Spring festival” as it marks the end of the Winter season.

Chinese New Year 2014 Reunion Dinner (Tuan Yuan Fan) Exhibit

Chinese New Year 2014 holidays in Singapore

The first two days of the Chinese New Year are generally marked as official public holidays in Singapore. As per 2014 Singapore Holidays Schedule, Chinese New Year holidays are from 31st January 2014 to 1st February 2014. Chinese New Year eve’s is not an official holiday in Singapore but it is generally an unofficially half day especially for Chinese employee’s.

The longest Chinese New Year holidays are observed in China i.e.., 7 days including the weekends.

What to expect from Chinese New Year in Singapore?

The Chinese New Year is most celebrated festival in Singapore. The whole city is in the festive mood and there are nice decorations everywhere. The most important aspect of the decoration is the theme of the new year. The upcoming new year is also known as the “Year of the Horse” (last year was the Year of the Snake), so you’ll be seeing a lot of horses as part of the CNY decoration.

If you’re working in Singapore then you might get a red envelope also known as Ang Pow. The Ang Pow normally contain cash and it is a tradition to put brand new notes inside the envelope. If you receive one then avoid opening it in front of other people as it does not consider as a good gesture.

The iconic attractions of Singapore and most visited destinations are also decorated with the new year theme. This includes Orchard Road, Sentosa Island, Marina Bay, Shopping Malls and Chinatown. The must place during the Chinese New Year 2014 in Singapore is Chinatown area. You can capture some amazing snaps of the new year decorations in Chinatown and also shop from the stalls who sell new year decoration items, souvenirs & gifts.

Talk of the Town

Below is our selected feed of talk of the town and what is happening in Chinese New Year 2014 in Singapore.

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Fullerton Hotel[/button]
This lovely decoration can be seen inside Fullerton Hotel for the CNY 2014 celebration.

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Raffles City Shopping Centre[/button]
A closeup of decoration inside Raffles City Shopping Centre for the CNY celebration.

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Paragon Shopping Mall[/button]

Decoration of the CNY at the Artium of Paragon Shopping Mall on Orchard Road. As the new year in Chinese calendar is the “year of the horse” so the horse being the main aspect of the CNY decoration in Singapore.

CNY 2014 decoration at Paragon Shopping Mall Singapore

This little fella is cute and a symbol of year of horse

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Garden by the Bay[/button]

Horse Sculptures display for Chinese New Year 2014 festival celebration in Garden by the Bay. There are various sculptures at Flower Dome and at the Flower Filed. If you’re planning a visit to Garden by the Bay then do take snaps of these beautiful sculptures.

These horse sculpture’s can be found at Garden by the Bay

A Blue Horse!

It looks like a real horse but still not real

This wooden horse sculpture can also be found in Garden by the Bay

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Takashimaya Mall[/button]

Chinese New Year 2014 festive decoration and goodies on sale at Takashimaya Mall on Orchard Road. Takashimaya Mall and Ngee Ann City Shopping Mall are best shopping malls for the CNY shopping in Singapore.

Chinese cultural performance by Hua Yi artists in Vivocity Shopping Mall for the CNY 2014 celebration. There are also goodies and decoration items on sale in Vivocity.

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Lion Dance Troupe[/button]
You will see a lot of these Lion Dance Troupe during the Chinese New Year. They perform Cai Ching to bring good luck & fortune to the businesses so they roam around, perform and gets a red packet in return. Guess what is in the packet?

[button bg_color=”#c48112″]Lim Chee Guan Shop[/button]
You will generally see a long queue outside the shop selling BBQ Pork also referred as Bak Kwa, especially if the shop is famous. People are queuing up outside Lim Chee Guan shop along New Bridge Road.

If you want to add something to talk of a town then do share with us in the comments below.